Quote:
Originally Posted by Tulok
I was under the truck a few weeks ago, and I noticed the transfer case hangs down pretty low, and the hitch was looking like it was in a horrible place for wind. Already took that off! Towing isn't efficient.
I'll probably design an aero-ish skid plate for that.
I think the truck will definitely benefit from tire air deflectors, and smaller mirrors. Both really cheap changes.
I'm going to make some new bumpers and probably get a winch regardless. If it can't be arranged to lower the vehicle some way,
I may just get air bags to provide clearance for the larger tires instead of a traditional fixed height lift. That's actually a great idea!
The truck will have on board air anyways so filling the bags won't be a problem.
My main goal is to extend the range of the truck in pure highway driving between far trails like Vegas, Moab, Colorado and California where it is hundreds of miles of highway between recreational areas.
I don't want to upgrade the engine, though a tune and headers-exhaust have given some people up to 2 mpg
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From everything I've heard regarding GM trucks (based on the 4.3 anyway, which is what my vans had), swapping your belt driven fan for an electric fan will probably be your best bang for the buck.
Actually, swapping out the Suburban with an AWD Astro or Safari might not be a bad idea. You'd have tons of interior room, with a more compact package. They aren't all that frugal, but I was routinely getting 23-24mpg out of a 200,000 mile, 2wd Safari well before I knew of hypermiling. The AWD vans can hold their own out in the wild too.